"I met Sir Paul and was probably not very cool about it at all" Catching up with Emily Burns

It's been a couple of years since Emily Burns first appeared on our radar and in that time she's developed into an exciting songwriting talent and a pop star on the verge of breaking out. With a new EP, Seven Scenes from the Same Summer, about to land and her brilliant new single 'Cheat' just released, we thought it was time for a quick catch up to see how she's been getting on since we last spoke.

Hi Emily, how are you today?

Hello! I’m feeling great today thank you! The sun is out and I have a really exciting week ahead, so all good!Would you like to introduce yourself to the TDF readers?

I’m Emily Burns and I’m a singer, writer and lover of pop music.Have you always wanted to be a musician?

I’ve known from a very young age that I wanted to be a musician so, I feel very grateful that it’s what I’m able to do! I first realised I loved performing at the age of 5… I think, before that, I wanted to be a policewoman.You've been playing festivals for a number of years - how do you find playing to the festival crowd? Is it different to your other live shows?

I love playing festivals, it’s a great opportunity to play to people who are perhaps hearing my music for the first time. The crowds are in a wicked mood, I guess because they're escaping reality for a weekend! It’s always a really fun vibe.How would you describe your music?

I’d describe my music as modern, honest pop with a hint of RnB melody and a little bit of Scandinavian influence.We love your recent single, 'Cheat' (and the recently released acoustic version), what is the story behind that song?

Thanks so much! 'Cheat' is one of those songs that sounds really happy and fun but there’s actually quite a sad story behind it – those are my favourite songs to write! I wrote it after a whirlwind romance at the start of the year that ended very abruptly and I was feeling pretty down about it. Fortunately, I had a session with my good friend LMBY and after we talked everything through, I felt empowered and loads better. The song was written very quickly after that, it was almost like a train of thought that fell out.

The track follows 'Bitch' and 'Girlfriend at the Time' - are these hints of a theme running through your imminent EP?

Haha! I promise I can write nice songs too! Seven Scenes from the Same Summer is made up of seven tracks about my personal experiences in dating/love/relationships, so I guess you could say there is a theme yes. I feel like it’s a very real look into my life, it’s almost as if I’m about to publish my diary for everyone to read.You've already had experience in meeting Sir Paul McCartney - how was that? Which other music legends would you most like to meet?

Yes! I have met Sir Paul and I was probably not very cool about it at all. He’s someone I was truly starstruck by and he was so lovely, it was really humbling. People always say never to meet your heroes right!? But I mean, who wouldn’t want to meet Beyoncé, if given the chance?

Speaking, relatively, as someone early in their career, do you feel the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are having a positive effect on the music industry?

I think it’s very important that voices are being listened to that perhaps felt silenced before. People sharing their stories and creating support networks can only impact the music industry in a positive way.What plans do you have once Seven Scenes From The Same Summer is finally released?

I plan to be performing live a lot more once the mini-album is out. Hopefully, I can travel a bit and play to some new crowds. I’ve also got loads of other material that I’m really excited to release so, I plan to crack on with that ASAP!When was the last time you were starstruck?

Having worked on the front desk at Abbey Road Studios for a few years, I’ve had to try and keep my cool whenever I’ve met really famous people so I’m usually quite good at that now!What is the most played tune in your library at the moment?

I have a terrible habit of finding a song that I love and absolutely rinsing it to the point where I can never listen to it again. Right now, I’m a big fan of 'Messy' by Kiiara and I really hope I don’t overplay it because I love it so much. I might have to start rationing myself to one listen per day.Emily's new single, 'Cheat' is out now and her EP, Seven Scenes from the Same Summer, is released on 20th July.

To keep up to date with Emily and her new music then track one of her social accounts: